Interlocking tab of a zipper

ABSTRACT

An interlocking tab of a zipper, comprises two rows of engaging teeth and a cloth tape surrounding the engaging teeth. The cloth tape at both lateral edges thereof provides side openings respectively.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of The Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to an interlocking tab of a zipper, and particularly to an improvement on an interlocking tab of a zipper, with which a curve shaped zipper is possible to be formed easily and smoothly by way of side openings formed on a cloth tape thereof.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] The zipper is an interlocking device popularly used in our daily so that it can be seen easily in the ready-made clothes, hand bags, sleep bags, tents, . . . , and so on. The zipper provides advantages such as being conveniently operated and being durable, and these are the reason why it is so popularly used and replaces many of traditional interlocking device.

[0005] Mostly, there are three types of zippers available based on the material thereof and they are zippers respectively made of metal, nylon, and fiber-reinforced plastics. Usually, a zipper is composed of an interlocking tab and a slider and the interlocking tab provides two opposite lines; of teeth for engaging with each other and a cloth tape extending laterally from the engaging teeth for being attached to an article by way of sewing. The engaging teeth on a metal zipper and on a zipper of fiber-reinforced plastics are independently disposed and neighboring teeth are equally spaced apart from each other such that two opposite lines of teeth can engage with each other. As for the nylon zipper, the teeth thereof are made from nylon or polyester filament being heat up and curled so as to form continuous spirals or coils for being able to engage with each other oppositely. Hence, the fabrication of the interlocking tab on the nylon zipper is after the spirals or coils are formed before the cloth tape can be sewed onto an article.

[0006] Although the conventional zipper can interlock two part of an article, there is a slight imperfection that the zipper is limited to be formed as a shape of straight line. That is, it is hard to form a shape of curve for the zipper while the sewing work is conducted, especially for the metal zipper and the zipper of fiber-reinforced plastics. The engaging teeth on the metal zipper and the zipper of fiber-reinforced plastics have been fixed in shape such that It is very limited for the fixed teeth to be bent. As for the engaging teeth on the nylon zipper, although the shape of continuous coils and the flexure of the material make the engaging teeth possible to be bent appropriately, a fixed length of cloth tape makes the sewing work unable to be done easily.

[0007] The preceding bottleneck with regard to the zipper being used or being worked has restricted the product design to avoid the joining of curve and work with straight line only. However, the curve shape is inevitable for the product design or the fabrication of ready-made clothes so that how to obtain an interlocking tab being formed with curve shape is a subject worth us to develop so as to solve the problem of conventional zipper.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide an interlocking tab of a zipper, with which a curve shape for the zipper can be performed by way of side openings on a cloth tape thereof during being worked in addition to the shape of straight line.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The present invention can be more fully understood by referencing to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010]FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of an interlocking tab according to the present invention;

[0011]FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of an interlocking tab in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0012]FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating the interlocking tabs being worked; and

[0013]FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating different side openings arranged on the interlocking tab of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, an interlocking tab of a zipper according to the present invention comprises two rows of engaging teeth 1 and a cloth tape 2 1o associated with the engaging teeth 1.

[0015] Wherein, the engaging teeth 1 is conventional and each row of the engaging teeth 1 is made by way of nylon filament, polyester filament, or other polymeric filament being curled to form a continuous coil shape as the preceding description does. The engaging teeth 1 can be provided with suitable flexure of bending based on the property of the material itself to cope with the requirement of processing a curve shape. Because, this is a conventional art and no further detail will be described.

[0016] The difference between the present invention and conventional tooth tab resides in that the cloth tape 2 shown in FIG. 2 is provided with a plurality of side openings 21. Each side opening 21 can be made as a pierced through aperture or a detached spot instead. The side openings 2 preferably are equally spaced apart to one another and line up to constitute two parallel rows of side openings 21. In practice, the side openings 21 can be located near the respective lateral edge of the interlocking tab without breaking the lateral edge as shown in FIG. 1 or breaking the lateral edge into sections as shown in FIG. 2. Furthermore, the side openings 21 can be holes formed by way of punching or tears formed by way of stamping and the cloth tape 2 can be made of the polyester or chemical fiber in order to damage the fiber structure for loosening the yam in the cloth tape 2. If the cloth tape 2 is made from polyester or blending, the formation of the side openings 21 can be performed by way of the supersonic wave, sintering or heat melting such that the cloth surrounding the side openings 21 may solidify or be in a state of maturing to prevent the yarn from loosening. FIG. 4 shows reference shapes of side openings 21 possible to be made in practice, and these shapes are for taking examples and not for limiting the technical scope of the present invention. That is, other shapes of side openings 21 are still in the technical scope of present invention. Moreover, the side openings 21 may be preset during the strip being processed.

[0017] Referring to FIG. 3, in case of a curve work being conducted for the cloth tape 2, the side openings 21 make the cloth tape 2 extend outward to compatible with the bent engaging teeth 1 and then be positioned after sewing such that the zipper can be formed with a curve. In addition, it is possible make the curve smoother through a step of vapor setting.

[0018] It is appreciated that the present invention has broken through the bottleneck with regard to the working of curve zipper to solve a problem of the conventional zipper. Therefore, it leads to a wider scope of designing a zipper and this is an advantage not possible for the conventional zipper to reach.

[0019] While the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that modifications or variations may be easily made without departing from the spirit of this invention, which is defined by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An interlocking tab of a zipper, comprising two rows of engaging teeth; and a cloth tape with two lateral edges, surrounding the engaging teeth, and providing a plurality of opening near said lateral edges.
 2. The interlocking tab of a zipper according to claim 1, wherein the side openings break the lateral edges in sections respectively.
 3. The interlocking tab of a zipper according to claim 1, wherein the cloth tape made of nylon or polyester.
 4. The interlocking tab of a zipper according to claim 1, wherein the side openings are made by way of heat melting.
 5. The interlocking tab of a zipper according to claim 1 wherein the side openings pierce the cloth tape.
 6. The interlocking tab of a zipper according to claim 1, wherein the side openings are lined up in parallel.
 7. The interlocking tab of a zipper according to claim 1, wherein the side openings are communicate by two or more straight lines.
 8. The interlocking tab of a zipper according to claim 1, wherein the side openings can be holes formed by way of punching die.
 9. The interlocking tab of a zipper according to claim 1, wherein the side openings can be tears formed by way of stamping.
 10. The interlocking tab of a zipper according to claim 1, wherein the side openings can be preset during the cloth tape processed. 